ladder
同じ内容の記事を別の報道機関から紹介します。
記事の最後に出てくる”ladder”は「はしご」という訳でおなじみであると思いますが，ここでの意味はWisdom英和辞典（第三版）』（三省堂）で調べた結果「（社会制度の）手段」という意味がありました。”Means”の違いを調べるためにOxford Dictionary of Englishで引いてみると”means”は”an action or system by which a result is achieved”に対して
”ladder”は”a series of ascending stages by which someone or something may progress”でした。”means”があらゆる物事を達成するための手段であるのに対して，”ladder”は社会的に地位を上げるための社会制度の道，手段という感じだと思いました。(Ume)
State of the Union: Obama promises action on inequality
US President Barack Obama has promised to bypass a fractured Congress to tackle economic inequality in his annual State of the Union address.
He pledged to "take steps without legislation" wherever possible, announcing a rise in the minimum wage for new federal contract staff.
On Iran, he said he would veto any new sanctions that risked derailing talks.
The Democratic president is facing some of his lowest approval ratings since first taking office in 2009.
"Let's make this a year of action," Mr Obama said.
Noting that inequality has deepened and upward mobility stalled, he would offer "a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class".
